UN slams refugee work move on human rights

Date: November 24 2012

Michelle Grattan

THE United Nations High Commissioner for refugees has sharply criticised the government's decision to refuse to allow refugees on its new bridging visas to work, saying it breaches their rights under the international convention.

The UNHCR said people found to be refugees should be given basic human rights and rights to which the UN refugee convention entitled them -- ''including family reunion, work and freedom of movement''.

It also renewed its attack on the government's ''no advantage'' principle, requiring people coming on boats to wait as long for permanent settlement as they would if they had gone through regular channels.

The practical application of this test did not match Australia's obligations under the refugee convention, it said. The government announced this week that because the large influx of asylum seekers could not all be processed offshore, many of those arriving after August 13 would be processed onshore in the community. Refugees could stay on bridging visas for up to five years, without the right to work.

Meanwhile, Liberal backbenchers Judi Moylan and Russell Broadbent have attacked Tony Abbott's announcement on Friday that he would cut the refugee intake from the present 20,000 back to 13,750.

Ms Moylan said it was ''disappointing''. Mr Abbott promised to increase the intake when he persuaded Ms Moylan to back an unsuccessful opposition amendment during Parliament's debate on legislation (which later failed) on an offshore processing compromise.

Mr Broadbent said he was not surprised Mr Abbott did not seek party-room approval for his announcement, which also included work for the dole for those on the bridging visas. ''Tony would always rather apologise than get approval,'' he said.

Mr Broadbent said the government and opposition were trying to top each other for toughness. ''Where does this lead? What is the next step?''

Ms Moylan dismissed Mr Abbott's defence of the refugee cutback as a saving of $1.3 billion. There would not be a budgetary problem if people were not locked up in expensive detention, she said. She would not give blanket support to Mr Abbott's plan to make those on bridging visas work for the dole. If they had passed the refugee test ''they should be able to live and work in the community''.

Ms Moylan and Mr Broadbent will buck the Coalition's support for the government's legislation to excise the mainland when it is voted on next week. Mr Broadbent said he would call for a division to ensure the dissent was registered.

Mr Abbott said the government had lost control of the country's border and of its budget. The Coalition policy would ''help to re-establish control over both our borders and our budget''.

The Coalition had supported a generous refugee and humanitarian intake. ''What we can't do, though, is sustain something that we simply … cannot afford. This is the wrong time and the wrong signal that the government is sending to the people smugglers by increasing the refugee and humanitarian intake.''

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